how different are subs

[TDot 10+ year member]

This is a real subjective question and left to a lot of interpretation, but is there any REAL difference in subs once you have "equal" subs to compare? Ex. If I compare two 12", 500wrms, 90 efficiency, sealed, is there any REAL difference I'll see from sub to sub (same kind of comparison for any other types of sub setup)? Of course the freq curve of every speaker differs some, but how noticeable is it from sub to sub. I can hear it in tweeters, mids, woofers, but not in subs. Especially when thrown into a closed trunk and blasting to it's specified capacity. So beyond quality of build, what are you hearing in difference between two subs built to equal specs once you turn the volume up? (everything else in the system are the same)

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[conor_thompson 10+ year member]

Sound quality and db's can be different... but what 2 subs have the same exact build specifications? none that I know of

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

A lot can be different. Spiders, cone weight, coil size and height, gap.

 

[ewadz3006 10+ year member]

Do you mean audible difference or physical differences in the sub?

You said frequency differences. That would be noticeable.

 

[TDot 10+ year member]

Yeah, I'm talking about audible differences and characteristics. Im quite sure you can hear differences in tone and nuances at low levels, but once you turn it up to just above listening levels to blasting it, can you really hear a difference? I can hear differences in tweeters, mids, and woofers, but can't see that there would really be a difference in subs once specs are the same when blasting them just by the nature of the frequency range it's reproducing...especially with them in the trunk considering the partitions, reflections, enclosure, and all the other crap going on back there. Am I way off here (once they are in the same general price range)? How much difference do you hear in a sub once all the main specs are equal...or even a little different for arguments sake?

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Yes there is a difference. Just like mids and tweets, different subs have their sound signature. Go look at an audio magazine's review of subs sometime and see what the reviewer's comments are. Sure it's subjective, but there are definitely differences.